The Good Old Days

I am old enough to remember a time when the Republican Party was led by principled conservatives with whom one might engage in  reasonable debate and respectful disagreement. It is now infused with sycophants, obstructionists, prevaricators, and apologists for an ethically bankrupt president and a manifestly criminal enterprise.

Ten Points Toward A Progressive Vision

In response to a friend's request to list ten important points/ideals/values of a progressive agenda with full recognition that this enumeration represents my conception of a progressive vision for what might be possible for the future of this country. It is, therefore, necessarily incomplete...please feel free to contribute additional information, aspirations, and projections. The friend specifically indicated that she preferred ten 'bullet points'. Although I tried to be succinct, a bullet point presentation was never a real possibility!

1) A complete rethinking of how we the people decide to allocate public resources for the the benefit of the common good.

2) Universal health care as a human right; not a privilege to be acquired.

3) Creating a sustainable living environment by ending our reliance on fossil fuels and seriously developing solar, wind, and other natural energy sources while reducing CO2 emissions to a level that will reverse the current trend toward catastrophic global warming. 

Implementation of a plan to realize the goal of all-electric cars within the next 12 years.

4) Prioritizing an economy based on the survival of our planet, entailing a subsidized (if necessary) retraining of a workforce commensurate to the needs of an industry dedicated to human survival and well being rather than one that produces the means of death and destruction. Some version of The Green New Deal signals the beginning stages of this process and suggests a shift in how our public resources are to be allocated. 

5) Scrutinizing the current levels of spending on defense, cutting enormous levels of waste, and redirecting these resources to areas that create a sustainable model of existence that values all life and deemphasizes the forces of destruction while simultaneously ensuring an adequate level of national security. Replacing the Military Industrial Complex with an Environmentally Sustainable Complex for Global Survival.

6) A comprehensive remodeling of our public school system from pre-school through 12th grade, which will guarantee the reality of a quality education to all children regardless of economic/social status. We cannot sail as a nation until all boats are lifted to the surface and into the same current. A child in the inner city must have access to the same educational possibilities as his/her counterpart in the wealthiest suburb. This vision will entail the elevation of the teaching profession as an honored and lucrative career path equal to the societal demands for universal excellence in terms of educational opportunity. Making higher public education and trade school training free as an expression of the value of an educated workforce, which will accordingly return the public investment in terms of increased productivity.

7) The recognition of our fellow human brothers and sisters as members of the same family. An awareness and celebration of diversity as a cornerstone of our national identity wherein matters of race, sexual preference, gender identity, religious practice, national origin, and any other designation otherwise used to divide us is, instead, embraced as essential to a deeper understanding of who we are as a united people.

8)A reexamination of the justice system with an emphasis of ending the practice of mass incarceration and replacing it with a model based upon rigorous accountability entailing compassionate regard for the victims of crime and an authentic method by which perpetrators can reach meaningful reconciliation with their victims thereby affirming a shared humanity within the process. Refocusing our attention to genuine rehabilitation instead of the current practice of human warehousing.

9) Ending the disparity of wealth whereby the middle class has virtuously disappeared and real wages have stagnated for decades. Support for a wealth tax and the restoration of worker's rights through union representation. Recognizing the value of a living wage for all our citizens.

10) The elimination of the wage disparity between men and women and the full recognition of female reproductive rights and their agency regarding decisions relating to the dignity and autonomy of their bodies. Adoption of the principle of gender equality as a real and ongoing national value.

Fallacious Reasoning

A quick review of Trumpian 'logic' currently on display: In order to insure the safety of American lives we assassinate an Iranian general, which will certainly put more American lives at risk and further incur the likelihood of a catastrophic war in the Mid-East the likes of which we have never seen.
To be clear: this is neither a logical nor a sane position; it is, rather, a self-fulfilling prophesy masquerading as strategy with scant regard for the inherent and dangerous consequences implicit in the action. A policy based on revenge will only yield retribution, endless conflict, and perpetual suffering.

Ring In The New

On the 31st, Debby, I, and two close friends brought in the new year as well as the coming decade appropriately by dancing the night away at Berkeley's Freight and Salvage to the rhythms of Louie Romero and Mazacote (a great traditional salsa band). It never ceases to amaze me how this brilliant 12 piece band can remain so tightly in sync while combining a variety of beats into one coherent musical voice. Mazacote was followed by the all-female Afro-Cuban band , Maqueque, led by Jane Bunnett (Canadian) and five home-grown Cuban musicians who lit-up the music hall with virtuosity and an energy that will carry us well into the days to come. Sadly, as a result of the ongoing draconian policies with regard to Cuba, most of the musicians were obliged to leave the country shortly after the concert. On a more upbeat note, the spirit of the Afro-Cuban fusion, the symbolism of the all-woman ensemble, and the diversity of the assembled revelers served to remind us that the winds of the future are blowing a friendly breeze into the arid landscape of recent years and, in so doing, announce the ensuing decade as one of inclusive, paradigm shifting, and hopeful change.